A Look at the Pros & Cons of Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are seen as a crucial measure in mitigating climate change due to the road transportation sector being responsible for 15% of energy-related emissions globally. The market for electric vehicles is in fact booming. In 2022, EVs made up 14% of all new car sales, compared to just 5% in 2020. To support this momentum, governments are investing in the EV industry by providing purchase incentives as well as implementing policies to support manufacturing and supply chains. 

While the rapid expansion of the EV industry marks a step forward for decarbonization efforts, some concerns remain about the economic implications of the market’s exponential growth. The network of charging stations must expand substantially, requiring careful planning to avoid overtaxing the electric grid. An additional economic consideration is the recycling of EV batteries: because they contain critical minerals, the low rate at which they are currently recycled must improve. 

Despite the systemic challenges associated with the adoption of EVs, their use presents certain health and safety advantages in comparison to traditional cars with combustion engines. EVs are found to have a lower carbon footprint than cars running on gasoline, even when considering the electricity required to power them. An additional benefit of EVs is that they emit no exhaust and thus do not contribute to air pollution, which is a public health hazard. This is important because cars can cause major pollution, especially in congested cities where they produce up to 75% of carbon monoxide emissions. 

In terms of vehicle performance, the use of EVs is safer and less likely to result in injury in the event of a crash. Furthermore, fires in EVs are rare, with only a 0.03% likelihood of occurrence, compared to 1.5% for conventional cars. However, a potential drawback of EVs is that their batteries operate best within the more limited range of 15 to 45 degrees Celsius. The performance of EVs continues to improve, however, and the recent boom in the industry allows consumers more opportunities to exercise their preference on how their transportation impacts environmental and health matters.